Cupid and Commissioners saddle citizens with more tax debt as they approve nearly $1.3B budget for 2025

Despite the passionate pleas from citizens advocating for a rollback in the millage rate and a reduction in the general fund budget, Chair Lisa Cupid and the Democratic members of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners proceeded with their agenda that was counter to their wishes.

During the recent Commission meeting, which saw a room packed with citizens protesting against tax increases—some with signs and others prepared to speak— citizens were unyielding in their demands. Despite their outcries, Cupid led the charge for a $1.28 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year starting October 1st. Voting along party lines, the Democratic members, aligned with Cupid, chose to maintain property tax rates, which will result in increased revenue due to rising home values.

This 2025 budget, spearheaded by Cupid, reflects a 6.3% increase over the previous year’s budget. Republicans Keli Gambrill and JoAnn Birrell voiced their opposition and voted against the budget and millage rate, but the measures passed along party lines in a 3-2 vote. Gambrill criticized the decision, stating, “We’re collecting more money than we should.”

Last year, the county tax assessor’s office adjusted values for over 175,000 residential properties. This year only 140,000 properties will see value changes. Although the general and fire fund millage rates remained unchanged at 8.46 mills and 2.99 mills respectively, the county anticipates increased revenue from rising property values. This will add an extra $22.6 million to the general fund, raising it from $365.5 million to $388.1 million, and $11.7 million to the fire fund, increasing it from $138.7 million to $150.4 million.

To maintain last year’s property tax revenue levels, the county would need to lower the general fund millage rate to 7.761 mills and the fire fund millage to 2.807 mills. The general fund millage rate has been static since 2018 when it was raised by 1.7 mills.

Cupid defended the budget process, expressing concerns that repeatedly rejecting staff requests breeds distrust between county officials and staff. She argued that the limited funding undermines staff morale but has ignored the morale of the community and the distrust they have in the leaders of Cobb’s government. Public sentiment reflects a growing distrust in the board, with numerous commenters voicing concerns about financial strains and the inability to handle increased property taxes. Many shared personal stories of hardship, emphasizing that even small annual tax increases have compounded over time, placing significant financial pressure on lower and middle-class residents.

This widespread discontent culminated in questions about the legality of the budget vote. With a court ruling that one of the Democratic commissioners is serving unlawfully due to an unconstitutional electoral map, there are concerns about the validity of the vote. Critics argue that the budget and related decisions may need to be revisited in light of this legal issue.